Operator-assisted telephone service facilities, such as directory assistance, PBX and Toll Service, require that the service operator handle a large number of similar calls over the operator's work period, with the number of daily incoming requests for assistance typically varying from 800 to 1,300, depending upon the time of day and year. Previous attempts to reduce the operator's work time employed automatic response systems which contain prerecorded messages usually stored on electromechanical storage and retrieval devices (e.g. magnetic tape cassette or disk devices). Unfortunately, such systems do not alleviate the operator's burden of performing what is effectively a monotonous routine. Also, differences in voice characteristics (e.g. tonal quality, accent, gender) tend to create a negative customer reaction.
An additional problem is the fact that it is extremely difficult for an operator to answer similar calls with the same enthusiasm, courtesy and efficiency over an extended period of time. Incoming calls are placed by customers whose service requests to them are unique and, as such, the customers expect the service provided by the operator to be helpful, courteous and efficient. If, however, the customer's call is answered by an operator whose voice response is less than desired or, even worse, by a mechanical-sounding prerecorded response message prepared by one person's voice and then followed by the voice of the operator, which not only is different from that of the intercepting response message but conveys a tone that is less than customer-courteous to the caller, it can readily be appreciated how the caller may be confused and often disappointed in the service.